A little over 10 ha, Ostend’s Vicogne wood consists of young woodland and polder meadows, while the Vicognezwin retention pond, an old antitank trench and the Spuikom basin provide the area with much-needed water. A winding walk will give you a glimpse of the open polder grasslands while taking you through the woodland populated by a wide variety of small songbirds in spring. Bird lovers are definitely in for a treat along the Schietbaanstraat as the islands in the adjacent Spuikom welcome...

Once upon a time in the 17th century the woodland here was a castle domain. Now, only some tree trunks indicate where the building once stood. A wood with some history then, making it perfect for a walk!

The children's farm is located in the Schorre on the edge of Ostend, south of the centre. The children's farm aims to introduce children and young people to all aspects of farm life, so that they may rediscover the connection with nature and the biotope of farm animals. Much attention is paid to cognitive, emotional and social learning processes.

The Royal Galleries were finished in 1905. They are approximately 400 m long and served to protect the middle classes from sun and rain during their walks. They connected the Royal Pavilion with the Wellington racing track. In the beginning of the thirties, the Thermae Palace was built next to it. These days it is a four-star hotel still breathing the Belle Époque atmosphere.

In 1900, Belgian King Leopold II commissioned architect Henri Maquet to design the first royal gallery: an L-shaped, closed and covered walkway between the royal villa and a large octagonal salon. Nowadays it is known by the name ‘Venetian Galleries’, referring to Venice’s classicist architecture. When the Belgian royal family decided they would no longer use their coastal residence, Ostend was given the concession of the entire complex and resolved that the building be used for cultural...